Assuming you have decided to replace the rigging wire as well as a number of other components, the first decision is whether to do it with the mast up or down. Barnacles can slice through your boat's bellow! At least once a year, at the beginning or end of the sailing season, you should visually inspect all of your running rigging and look for signs of wear. Spreader tips that are covered can often encourage and hide corrosion as they can trap water and reduce air flow over stainless steel fittings, causing them to corrode. But Cockerill says it quickly becomes evident whether an owner feels comfortable enough to do the work. Most engines will last you about 20 years, depending on the amount of use and whether you use it properly. As you can see, most of these costs are longterm recurring maintenance costs. SKIRMISH was built for Clarence Noble in Brisbane. When should standing rigging be replaced? - Sailboat Owners Forums Check by sighting up the backside of the mast to see how straight your spar is side to side. In other words, if your boat already has rod rigging, with all of the end fittings to terminate the rods both on deck and in or on the mast, then sticking with rod will ultimately be less expensive than making the switch to wire. I used the Sta-Set solid color line to easily identify the lines. The boat owner or previous rigger had clearly replaced the old line without looking for the source of the chafe. So you don't want them on there. A boat in the water is in constant motion and the rigging experiences constant micro shock loads even when sitting in the slip. The condition of this halyard is likely due to UV degradation. Your boat will need bottom paint roughly every 2 years (could be longer, but to be safe, let's keep it at two). Market Scan: Running Rigging - Practical Sailor You should be mechanically inclined, he says, and the way to find that out is if I start talking all this technical jargon and you decide whether youre suited to handle that at all.. To the best of my knowledge it hasn't had a trailer until last year so the mast was up through the winter. The standing rigging consists of wires supporting the mast on a sailboat and reinforcing the spars from the force of the sails when sailing. My belief is that you should be replacing your sailboats standing rigging every 10 to 15 years. But this time frame also is variable, depending on the boats purpose and use. SKIRMISH was a 32-footer carrying an Aboriginal motif on her bows, recalling Skirmish Point, where Flinders landed and encountered the local Aboriginal community. This produces an easy-to-handle rope that is strong and durable. Now would also be a good time to change those old cotter pins and circlip rings as well. There are multiple combinations and variations: For instance, if your mast has double tangs, most likely the end fitting will be an eye although it can be a marine eye or an aircraft eye, which differ primarily in shape. Wire rigging is generally less expensive and easier to handle. I cant understand why they wanted 75 feet for the main as I still have 25-30 feet even when the main sheet is eased all the way. Do you want to earn money to write on our website? So I've added it to the "be aware this might happen" list - but won't add it to the monthly recurring costs. The sheave in the halyard exit box is chipped and has sharp edges. This is a perfect example to illustrate why a thorough, yearly inspection of running rigging is important. However, what you'll actually pay really depends on the type of boat you have and what you do with it. The first decision is whether to tackle the job with the mast up or down. It definitely needed to be replaced. Depending on the spreader joint, cap shrouds can sometimes prove troublesome as well, often requiring the spreaders to be disconnected at their roots. You can take a masthead halyard from side to side to ensure that the masthead is on center. You can also use sacrificial covers to protect halyards from clutch damage,. Its good enough to get you to safety and someplace you can make a more permanent repair. Riggers say very few sailors re-rig from wire to rod or the reverse, but if switching is on your mind, have a professional make a full assessment first. After that, you'll need to change them out. Why do you want to suddenly replace all your running rigging? If you want a life raft, that's another $1,500. Most masts have integral sheaves, which are rarely serviced except when the mast is unsteppedoften only at five-year intervals. Skilled marine technicians charge from $75 - $150 per hour. They can also crack under the constant tension, particularly if the rig has been pumping in rough seas or if the toggles that ensure proper shroud alignment have seized and cant move freely. Its one of the most important features on a sailboat, but many owners put standing rigging at the back of their minds when it comes time to do their pre-season safety checks. It sounds to me that the question is when, not if you will go for new rigging. This is a quick and easy job for a rigger to do and covers can be replaced each season rather than discarding the rope. The worst-case scenario, of course, is that the chainplates pull right out of the deck, with catastrophic consequences. Also, there are a lot of costs you can save on substantially if you do simple maintenance yourself or have a simple boat. Double Braid: A braided core inside a braided cover. Few places on the planet have such a devoted, diverse, and downright joyful yacht racing season as the island read more, Ive never laughed so hard as I have on some of my charters, but its typically only funny after the fact. I agree with a general average of 20 years for replacing the standing rigging. Average Sailboat Maintenance Costs (with 4 Examples) Well, for starters, I'd recommend doing most small maintenance yourself and ignore all non-essential. But Marissa and Chris Neely on Avocet saw a weather window and jumped, making their first big offshore passage the wrong way from Santa Barbara to San Francisco and loving itmostly. Here's the average cost to shrink wrap a boat. Youll need about 500 feet for an average 30 footer. ImproveSailing is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Pip Hare's top tips for preventing chafe on lines, sails and hardware and about a 200 anchor .line. I personally take stock of a pleasure boat's components and their age and will not load an older boat's rigging as much as I would a newer one. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more! I'll also inquire about upgrading to one size up. These specific components likewise reinforce the spars against increased loads when wind interacts . It wears with time due to UV exposure, flogging, strain from the wind, and regular use. First, check for cracks (usually longitudinal), particularly if the terminal looks misshapen or the stay is misaligned in any way. All you need is two blocks (pulley attachments) attached forward on both sides, ideally near the toerail, and enough line to run from the boom attachment up to the blocks on each side and then back to the cockpit. That's just what it is. That history will affect what kind of life you get out of your standing rigging. Some insurance companies, he says, will require a re-rig if youre purchasing a used boat that has standing rigging older than 15 years. Sailboat rigging very rarely fails from being overloaded. On this site for example someone posted the specs for a Catalina 27 and they were bang on and agreed fully with the specs I got from the Catalina owners association. Its when the leeward side starts flopping around that youre asking for trouble., Stainless steel has a finite number of cycles essentially, movements, whether fore and aft or side to side. Every sailboat has an Out Haul and a Down Haul. The average price of new sailboats is $250,000, ranging from $96,000 to $654,000. Dear improvesailing.com webmaster, Your posts are always well-supported by facts and figures. Its always advisable to unstep the mast every few years to check it over thoroughly at ground level, so this is an obvious time to consider replacing the shrouds and stays, particularly if the forestay is to be replaced, as removing the furler without damaging it can be a tricky task. Flares have to be replaced every 42 months. Replacing Running Rigging on an Older Sailboat, a bowline or other knot in a high tech line reduces the breaking strength by up to 80%, for jib sheets you must increase the line size to account for the reduced strength more $$$$, an eye splice is required to attach a shackle to a halyard. LUBE SAIL TRACK MATERIALS 3/2019. As you work your way down the mast, take a glance at the mainsail track to see if its in good condition and well secured. Boom Vang. How much does a used sail cost? How to Rig Your Own Boom Preventer Line - LiveAbout Low-cost tension gauges are now available and are a useful addition to your cruising toolbox anyway. For instance, Madden says, he recently had a customer whose 46-foot cutter had a rigging failure at six years. Re-rigging To re-mouse the halyards, flake out the halyard, attach the working end to the mousing line that comes from the masthead, and check they are secure, before pulling back through. Generally, they consist of either three or four parts (Sta-Lok has three; Hi-MOD has four), including a sleeve; a cone; in Hi-MODs case, a crown wheel; and the terminal (an eye, fork, stud, etc.). OK, it isn't cheap, but it can absolutely be done on a budget. Your costs will range from a couple of hundred dollars for a small outboard up to over a thousand for a large or difficult to reach inboard. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 5 Ways To Sail Rig A Sailing Boat 2023 - CHUCKPAL Remove old lifelines and frayed running rigging. Rigging Your Cruising Sailboat Yourself - Sailing Eurybia On our old boat we had the Port Aft lower shroud fail while sailing. sailboats with inboard engine: $5,000 - $10,000, sailboats with outboard engine: $1,000 - $1,500, most powerboats (inboard engine): $15,000 - $35,000, small outboard engines (2-5 hp): $1,000 - $1,500, large outboard engines (100+ hp): $10,000+. Start by digging out the bosuns chair and finding a trusted (and hopefully fit) buddy to help you. Depending on the answers to those questions and others, a professionally done re-rig for a 40-footer could be closer to $6,000 or more. Usually the owners manual gives you the specifications of all the running and standing rigging. This was rod rigging and increased the price quite a bit. But here are some things we could do out to save some big bucks: Winterizing your boat yourself can cost you as little as $50 for antifreeze and an oil change afterward. 3. Good quality cruising sails will need to be replaced every 10 years or so. Replacement of the rigging components is more frequent and based on inspection. There are some obvious answers to this one for instance, if your wire rigging has broken strands or if its suffering from candy-striping, i.e., rust-colored streaks swirling down the wire. You should be able to get the specs off the internet. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. It's a good idea to replace wire running rigging with high-modulus rope, but the reality is that in most cases we can't because many masts that were designed for wire have sheaves that are: Grooved for wire. Learn all about the dangers of failing to winterize here. The two primary manufacturers of mechanical fittings presently are Sta-Lok and Petersen Stainless, which produces Hi-MOD. The total maintenance cost for a liveaboard will average around $1,550 per year or $129 per month. Either way, Jimmie Cockerill, co-owner of the Rigging Company in Annapolis, recommends that for a sailboat with wire rigging, the mast should be pulled and all fittings and wire visually inspected every five to six years. 101 Basics for Sailors - Anything and Everything Catalina 22 Dont forget the turnbuckles and chain plates. Let's start by getting a good overview of the different maintenance costs. This halyard definitely needs to be replaced. In this article, we'll break down the average prices of different sailboats by type, age, condition, and size. SailboatOwners.com, 605 NW 53rd Avenue, Gainesville, FL, 32609 Did you find the answer to your specific question? Generally, end fittings fall into a few classes: studs, eyes, forks and hooks, each of which comes in a dizzying array of sizes and configurations. Did you know that rope halyards are easier to handle and significantly lighter than wire halyards. You can't eliminate all risk on a sailboat and how to make that call will be different bassed on an individual's risk tollerance. Account. Have a feel for any rough or sharp edges, especially cotter pin ends that might chafe lines or sails. Our selection runs the gamut, from economical polyester single- and double-braids to high-tech, low-stretch line made from materials such as Dyneema, Spectra, Technora, Kevlar and Vectran. The Estimated Costs of Replacing a Jibs and Genoas Sails for boats measuring 42' to 50' can cost around $5,500-$9,000 Sails for boats measuring 36' to 42' can cost around $4,000-$7,000 Sails for boats measuring 32' to 36' can cost around $3,000-$5,000 Sails for boats measuring 24' to 32' can cost around $2,500-$4,000 Keep the tension equal on each side by counting the turns on each turnbuckle. Your engine will wear out faster, and you'll need more incidental repairs as well. But you can't really detect corrosion down into the swage. Tensioning them will be done later in the rigging sequence. A good boat supply store will be able to help. I've read that the inner stays rarely snap. Much depends on where it is manufactured; Herman and other riggers say the best wire today is coming from South Korea through a manufacturer called KOS, making wire to military specifications. Standing rigging supports your boat's mast. Make Wire cutting Jig. Most of my clients say to me without any prompting, This is one area I feel should be done by a professional, Madden says. Copyright 2023 ImproveSailing.com Specific Gravity is 1.38, so it does not float. You could be setting yourself up for some serious problems, as well a spending a lot of unnecessary money into the bargain. Headed by Dona Bertarelli, the Spindrift team has been on a mission to set a read more, In some stunning footage from onboard reporter Antoine Auriol, Boris Herrmann and his team aboard Malizia decided to cut their Code 0 free after it came loose and got tangled in the keel last night. Attach as many of the rigging lines as possible to the masts, booms, and gaffs. Over time, UV exposure weakens the fibers and eventually, even the slightest friction will cause chafe that will damage and break the fibers of the cover. Write the diameter near the hole with sharpie. It's also called antifouling paint because it helps to protect your hull from weeds, barnacles, and so on. How to: replace a halyard - Yachting Monthly Outboard starters run from about $100 - $500. Theres no reason good quality rigging shouldnt last up to 20 years or so if it is well maintained and any problems that arise are sorted right away. I have got quotes for sails for my 40' boat and they range from $8k for a jib and a main and I replaced the standing rigging on my boat. How to Replace Your Standing Rigging for Less - The $tingy Sailor For all of these reasons, most riggers agree that when your sailboats standing rigging approaches 15 years old, its a good time to consider replacing it. The three most commonly used types of attachments are swaged and mechanical fittings for wire, and cold heads for rod. Redoing the running rigging on a cruising sailboat involves measuring, measuring and measuring. It requires more careful consideration of condition, usage, and inspection for signs of failure. Deep cycle batteries (which are best for household functionality) need replacing every 4-6 years and will cost roughly $600. Most sailors choose to leave this to a professional rigger, but theres no reason why you shouldnt attempt it yourself if you know the best way to go about it. One advantage is that you might not need to winterize if you're a fulltime cruiser since you'll probably spend your winters in Bermuda.